NBN to include traditional telephone service

The rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) will be a move welcomed by those whose use of the internet is a significant part of their personal and professional lives.

But where does that leave consumers who only need a high-quality telephone line?

This is a question that NBN Co - the organisation in charge of the development of the network - and Primus will be tackling as partners.

For those wanting to compare phone plans once the NBN has been set up their area, a traditional phone service may be available - if tests surrounding ease of provision for phone retailers are successful.

NBN Co chief operating officer Ralph Steffens said: "We understand that there will be a number of people who only want a telephone service and that we need to offer quality telephone services while making the transition to fibre as easy and straightforward as possible.

"By undertaking these tests we want to ensure it is easy for retail service providers to offer their customers the services they are familiar with using the equipment they already have."

Primus chief executive Tom Mazerski said that the telecoms giant's aim is to ensure ease of transition for NBN customers from copper to fibre while maintaining a high-quality voice service.